Houses of Parliament Wedding Photographers London

I’ve heard plenty of photographers say they wouldn’t like to shoot weddings and one of the most common reasons seems to be the pressure involved on a wedding day. The truth though is that it’s like anything, the more you do, the more comfortable the whole day feels. Each year we have weddings that push us to become better photographers. This year we’ve had a rainy Lake District wedding and Gael and Pete’s very European wedding to name just a couple, both of those were challenging technically but more than worth it for the collection of images. As Todd Laffler said ‘You need pressure to make the diamonds’.

As we arrived in a busy London last month, the imposing figure of Big Ben towering overhead was a gentle reminder for both of us that Lydia and Chris’s Houses of Parliament wedding in London would be a fantastic experience with a certain amount of added pressure.

People often think of relaxed weddings as being in a barn or a marquee somewhere in the countryside. If the last 4 years has taught us anything it’s that it’s really all down to the couple. From Barn weddings in the Yorkshire Dales, complete with lawn games and afternoon tea, to top hats and tails in a stately home, weddings are a reflection of the people there, not the venues.

It’s hard not to place a bit of pressure on yourself when you’re shooting in a building as impressive as the Houses of Parliament, but I can honestly say that Chris and Lydia were one of the most relaxed couples we’ve had all year. Happy to enjoy their day, trusting us to do what we love and capture their day for them.

Their ceremony took place at the beautiful Westminster Church where, 106 years prior, Winston Churchill was married to Clementine Hozier. From there it was a short trip across the road to the Houses of Parliament where I would later have to be security checked and X-rayed – unsurprisingly a first for us! In the morning Chris looked after their daughter Clementine while he grabbed a late breakfast with his groomsmen, meanwhile Lydia and her maid of honour prepared in style with a hotel room overlooking some of London’s most iconic buildings.

It’s always strange being behind the camera on a wedding day, getting a close up to all of the things guests can so easily miss. On Chris and Lydia’s wedding day I absolutely loved just how happy they obviously are together, the glances throughout the day and the smiles on each of their faces.

As we braved the horrendous evening traffic coming out of London, ready for our 4 and a half hour drive home, the thing we talked about more than anything wasn’t the buildings, or crowds or incredible weather, it was just how perfect for each other Lydia and Chris clearly are.